It is known to provide a chair or seat having a compliant back member pivoted to a seat back frame assembly in at least two vertically spaced-apart locations for providing a controlled curvilinear flexure support. For examples of the above, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,871,258; 5,909,923; 5,975,634; 5,979,984; 6,079,785; 6,086,153; 6,220,661 which disclose a office chair including a compliant back member. The prior art office chair has significant drawbacks in terms of its packaging and that it does not include a balanced seat back adjustment device for controlling the compliant back member.
It is also known to provide an automotive seat having an adjustable lumbar consisting of a flexible member having a first end anchored and a second end moved with respect to the first end to cause the flexible member to vary its shape to provide adjustable support within the lumbar region of an automotive seat. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,397,164; 5,498,063; 5,626,390; 5,775,773; 6,003,941; and 6,254,187, each disclose known adjustable lumbar devices including a flexible member. However, none of these devices are capable of working with a compliant back member similar to that known in the prior art. Further, none of the known adjustable lumbar devices disclose or teach an adjustment mechanism having sufficient strength and robustness as required to apply the compliant back member of the known chair art to a vehicle seat. Further, it is known to provide a compliant back member in a vehicle seat including a tension adjust member using a Bowden cable arrangement. For example, PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US03/04210, filed Feb. 11, 2003, entitled Automotive Seat with Live Back, discloses such a device.
Notwithstanding the known devices, there remains a significant and continued need to develop a seat which is capable of better supporting an occupant of the seat using a more simple device. In particular, there remains a need to provide an automotive seat which is capable of providing continuous support for a plurality of sizes of seat occupants while reducing the complexity and cost of known devices and designs. Further, there remains a need to provide an automotive seat that includes a compliant or flexible seat back that automatically adjusts to an occupant's unique shape and posture including being able to adjust to the occupant's changing shape and posture while providing continuous support. Further, there remains a need to provide an automotive seat having a seat back that is capable of providing an occupant with individualized support and which is capable of permitting back and spinal motion. There also remains a need to provide an automotive seat having a seat back that can pivot more naturally in relation to an occupant and which is capable of better keeping the a lumbar support in contact with the occupant.
It is desirable to provide an automotive seat that provides one or more of these and other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present description. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.